Project summary There is a dire need for training early career clinicians and researchers with innovative research methodologies and research tools to make new discoveries and technological advances for effective diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of human brain disorders. The overall goal of this summer research training program entitled “Neuromotor Skill Advancement for Post baccalaureates or NSAP” at the University of Houston IUCRC BRAIN Center is to provide didactic and hands-on activities focusing on the development of highly specialized and highly sought-after technical skills to study the brain with the intention to complement and enhance the training of therapists, clinical and research fellows, and orthotists and prosthetists from a diverse community for neurorehabilitation and neuroengineering research with the goals of improving health and well-being of children and adults and meeting the nation’s biomedical, behavioral and clinical research needs using emergent technologies. Trainees will be recruited nationally through announcements and advertisements sent to organizations for groups that are underrepresented in clinical and biomedical research. A group of 10 trainees in the science, bioengineering, neuroscience, or medical fields at the post baccalaureate level will be recruited to participate over 10 weeks in the summer months in workshops and seminars, didactic work, and immersive collaborative and personalized research experiences. The proposed collaboration with experts at Texas Medical Center (TMC) institutions, including Texas Woman’s University, the University of Texas Medical Branch and TIRR Memorial Hermann, and the faculty from the NSF BRAIN Center at the University of Houston leverages unique facilities, extensive expertise and mentoring experience to provide state-of-the-art training in neuroimaging, neuromodulation, and neurorehabilitation engineering. In addition, our NSAP faculty mentors represent the workforce in the fields of neurorehabilitation and neuroengineering. MPI: Jose L. Contreras-Vidal, PhD MPI: Pranav J. Parikh, MBBS, PhD Other faculty mentors: Stacey L. Gorniak, PhD Shih-Chiao Tseng, PT, PhD Jinsook Roh, PhD Charles S. Layne, PhD Luca Pollonini, PhD Christina Bickley, PT, PhD, BOCO, C/NDT Shuo-Hsiu Chang, PT, MS, PhD Gerard E. Francisco, MD NIH R25 Research Training Grant (NICHD) Total Budget: $812,800 (includes 8% IDC) Project duration: 5 years (10 weeks training program every summer)